Conglomerate Dominant in Durban

THE CONGLOMERATE DEFIES ODDS IN DURBAN

DURBAN, South Africa–Markus and Ingrid Jooste's outsider The Conglomerate (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}) streaked home a half-length in advance of Marinaresco (SAf) (Silvano {Ger}) in Saturday's R4.5 million (£213,287/€258,046/US$286,930) G1 Vodacom Durban July, giving his popular rider Piere Strydom a fourth renewal of South Africa's richest Group 1.

“He's owed us a good race for quite a while now, but you could say I've owed him a good race for quite a while, too,” said winning conditioner Joey Ramsden, who was winning his first Durban July.

The Conglomerate hadn't won in four starts this year and was coming off a pair of fourth-place efforts, in the G2 Betting World 1900 at Greyville May 20 and in the G3 Cup Trial S. in Durban June 20.

Sent off the fourth-longest shot in the field at 23-1, The Conglomerate emerged from the pack as the field fanned out across the track into the straight in the 2200-metre event, hit the lead near the outside of the track at the 200-metre mark and had enough left in the tank to hold off the late charge of Marinaresco.

Saturday, Greyville, South Africa
VODACOM DURBAN JULY-G1, R4,250,000, GRV, 7-2, 3yo/up, 11fT, 2:13.50, gd.
1–&THE CONGLOMERATE (AUS), 122, g, 4, by Lonhro (Aus)
1st Dam: Republic Lass (Aus) (MG1SW-Aus, $870,027), by Canny Lad (Aus)
2nd Dam: Swift Seasons, by Cox's Ridge
3rd Dam: Cascapedia, by Chieftain
O-Ingrid & Markus Jooste; B-D R Fleming (AUS); T-Joey
Ramsden; J-Piere Strydom. R2,500,000. Lifetime Record:
17-6-0-1, R3,425,325. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]2–Marinaresco (SAf), 122, g, 3, Silvano (Ger)–Gay Fortuna (Saf),
by Fort Wood. O-M W Bass, F Green, Bryn Ressell & N M
Shirtliff; B-Mauritzfontein Stud (SAF); T-Mike Bass. R800,000.
3–Mac de Lago (Aus), 131, g, 4, Encosta de Lago (Aus)—
Macavelli Miss (Aus), by Vettori (Ire). O-H Adams, C F Delport,
D Chinsammy, Lawrence Pillay, T J Smith & O D T Visser; B-G
Downey (AUS); T-Weiho Marwing. R400,000.
[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]Margins: NK, 2, SHD. Odds: 20.00, 16.00, 45.00.
Also Ran: It's My Turn (SAf), Saratoga Dancer (SAf), Bela-Bela (SAf), Black Arthur (SAf), Ten Gun Salute (Aus), Master Sabina (SAf), Mambo Mime (SAf), French Navy (SAf), Dynamic (SAf), Abashiri (SAf), Trophy Wife (SAf), Rocketball (SAf), Samurai Blade (Aus), St Tropez (SAf), Solid Speed (SAf). Scratched: Rabada (SAf), Deputy Jud (Saf).
Click for the Racing Post result. VIDEO.

Despite few obvious hard-luck stories, it was a bad day for the favorites in the July, though the crowd, admittedly, had a hard time separating them. That was reflected by the fact that all but one of the 19 runners were less than 28-1, with favouritism falling eventually to the filly Bela-Bela (SAf) (Dynasty {SAf}) at a tepid 5-1 co-favourite. The gray miss ran a strong sixth.

The recent South African Triple Crown winner Abashiri (SAf) (Go Deputy), bet down in half from his 10-1 morning line, could do no better than 13th as the other runner at 5-1.

The only other two horses at less than 10-1, French Navy (SAf) (Count DuBois {GB}) (7-1) and Solid Speed (SAf) (Dynasty {SAf}) (6-1), finished 11th and 19th, respectively.

Representing the Joostes at Durban was their racing manager Derek Brugman, who said the 4-year-old had gone sour at the end of his sophomore season, and the decision was made to geld him.

“He wasn't concentrating, so we decided to geld him, and even in his first two starts this year, he wasn't himself,” said Brugman. “He was just a miserable horse. He wasn't happy. But after his last run here, he came around, and he began to do the work for you in the morning and stayed into the bit, and he was a different horse. You can never be too confident in the July, but I really liked the way the horse was training over the last two weeks.”

The Conglomerate was selected at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale by Ramsden and Brugman and purchased by the Joostes for A$160,000.

“Derek and I always do a lot of legwork at the sales, and this is the one horse we really, really wanted,” said Ramsden. “I got down on bended knee to Markus, and as always, Markus came up with the goods and allowed me to buy the horse. I have to say, Derek has a special eye for a horse–he truly has–and we were very lucky the team from Inglis helped along the way.”

Ramsden had high praise for The Conglomerate's Australian-based sire Lonhro, as well.

“Lonhro has the most amazing record in Australia,” said Ramsden. “He's a champion sire, and it just goes to show you the depth they have there. Every year, horses slip through their net, and they go hot on some horses and cold on others. And thankfully, that year they forgot about Lonhro.”

Asked about The Conglomerate's stud prospects by one misinformed journalist, Ramsden quipped, “Sadly, he's not an entire. I picked his pockets a year ago.”

Ramsden also saddled the Jooste's St Tropez (SAf) (Silvano {Ger}) in the July. The 4-year-old was reported to be lame pulling up under jockey Anton Marcus, but Ramsden hadn't received a status update when he talked to reporters about 20 mintutes after the race.

“I've not had a chance to chat with Anton, but obviously it's a concern,” said Ramsden. “I hope he's pulled up better than Anton says, but he's seemed to have come back in one piece.”

Pedigree Notes…

The Conglomerate is the eighth foal and first stakes winner out of Republic Lass, who won the G1 Australian Oaks before besting males in the G1 Ranvet S. at four. Republic Lass was third in three additional Group 1s: the BMW S., Queen Elizabeth S. and Caulfield Cup. She was barren when bred to Street Cry (Ire) the year after producing The Conglomerate, and has a soon-to-be 3-year-old colt named Field Day (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), a soon-to-be 2-year-old Sepoy (Aus) filly and did not produce a foal last year after being bred to Choisir (Aus).

Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.